Breathtaking train station to be centrepiece of futuristic planned city near Toronto

A stunning GO train station will act as the centrepiece of a futuristic planned community roughly 60 kilometres north of Toronto.

The enormous new community proposed for the 6th Line and 20th Sideroad area in Innisfil, known as The Orbit in reference to its concentric ring roads, was first tabled in 2019 with stunning futuristic designs from architects Partisans that made waves in the urban planning and architecture communities.

The transit-oriented community from developer Cortel Group — owned by the Cortelluci family known for its ties to the Ford government — is being planned on the back of a controversial MZO, or ministerial zoning order.

The bold plan has been significantly value-engineered from its sci-fi roots in the years since it was first proposed on rural farmland, whittled down to a more realistic — and decidedly less ambitious — vision introduced in 2021.

The project has continued to evolve, and the sci-fi-inspired, almost EPCOT-esque vision from Partisans has gradually morphed into a more traditional masterplan designed by Arcadis IBI Group.

Though the design has been heavily watered down from the exceptional to the mere above-average, a proposed GO station at the heart of the community continues to evolve through the planning process and is still envisioned to be an architectural gem for the new community.

Some new renderings for Innisfil GO, an infill station on the Barrie Line. This station will be the centrepiece of the Orbit, a dense mixed-use greenfield community. More here: https://t.co/FhCQGml9Gr pic.twitter.com/o1KAd66WvW

— Alex Glista 🇨🇦 (@AlexanderGlista) January 26, 2024

The latest in an evolving series of designs for Innisfil GO Station, while significantly scaled back from the initial plan, still manages to impress.

As per the MZO, the Innisfil Mobility Hub would act as the impetus for The Orbit, planned at the heart of the new community, to function both as the main transportation link and a civic square surrounded by the densest parts of the planned city.

The station would add a new point to the GO Barrie Line between Bradford and Barrie South stations, though when this will actually happen remains to be determined.

The Town of Innisfil initially envisioned construction for the station to begin in 2022 and completed later that year. The timeline was subsequently delayed to 2023, though as of early 2024, there is still no GO station in Innisfil.

The project is expected to proceed once Cortel secures enough sales to begin construction of its massive residential community.